The Little Big Things

   There has been a lot of crazy stuff going on in my life lately.  Perhaps most significantly, my daddy's having back surgery tomorrow morning.  There's a lot of stress that goes with that, and I'm leaving heavily on my Savior right now.
   One of my friends got hurt about a year ago, and there have a lot of problems that no one expected.  He had surgery last Wednesday, and before that he came to school just to give devotion to our FCA huddle.  I cried like seven times that day (I guess I was in a teary mood), but what he shared started it all.
   He talked about the little things that we focus on all too much.  God sees the big picture, He knows what's best for us, and He tells not to worry, but yet we stuck on the little things happening to us.  Whether it be an algebra test, a guy liking us (or not), or something more major like a surgery, we see that mountain in front of us and don't think we can get over.  We make it a much bigger problem than it really is.  We get stuck on that one thing, worrying and stressing over it, and God's saying, "I've got this. This is not too for you.  You can do anything if you just lean on Me.  This is not as huge or hard as you think it is.  I see the big picture, beyond this.  I know.  Trust Me."
   We have to step back and take a look at things through God's perspective.  Whatever mountain, whatever trial that's in front of us may seem impossible to get over, but it's not too big for Him.  We need to let of our worries, stop focusing on this one thing, and let Him take care of it.
   My friend went back to the hospital today.  It's really hard, and he and his family, everyone who knows him really, can use whatever prayer they can get.  My family and I also need help in this ordeal with my dad's surgery.  It's going to be a long and difficult process for all of us.  Please leave a comment if you will pray for any and all of us.  Thank you all so much for your prayer and support.  God bless you!

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

-Matthew 6: 26-27 (NIV)

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

-1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) 

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  

-Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

-Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

You and Jasmine

   So how many of you really got that lesson?  You know, when our FACS teacher read the story about Jasmine.  Remember tearing of pieces of our paper hearts every time she lost a piece of herself?
   I remember laughing and talking.  Saying she was stupid and should of learned her lesson.  Joking about taping her legs together.  But girls, as you tore that paper heart to shreds, did you stop to think that you might be doing the very same thing to yourself?
   You don't have to have sex to loose part of yourself.  Remember that kiss, the hug by your locker, or holding hands on the way to class?  Each time, you gave him a piece of yourself.  Maybe just the tiniest sliver, but your heart just became that much smaller.
   Ever wonder why it hurts so much to break up?  You gave him yourself, by bits and pieces, thinking that this was love and you'd be together forever.  Now you're left with less of himself and more of his baggage.
   Have you ever considered the man you will marry?  You want his whole heart, his whole self, not a battered and bruise piece of it.  What will you have left for him?
   So don't be so quick to judge Jasmine, the girl with the shredded heart.  You may have more in common with her than you thought.

Shackles of the Mind

Trapped.  Chained.  Stuck.  Locked in a world of dull sameness and blind acceptance.

    Is this you?  Is it me?  Is it the people we spend time with every day?  Who we bump into in the halls?  Our best friends?

   We and our peers are held captive by invisible shackles.  We are tricked into believing that we are fine, that this is as good as it gets.  We think we are doing good enough, that nothing will change, that nothing needs to.  You may not be able to see the bonds that restrain us, but the effects are clear - if we will only look.

   We are chained into our cliques, our groups of the cool and the lame.  There are seemingly impenetrable boundaries between the hot and the not.

   We are locked into the teenage mindset of fun, and fun, and more fun.  If it's boring we fall asleep.  If we're not good at it, it's stupid and we find something else.  If we can't see any immediate benefits, why bother?  We might think we know it all, but what if what we know is wrong?

   We don't have to stick to the status quo.  We don't have to wait until we're adults to do something that matters.  We don't have to be content with the way things are.  We don't have to believe the lies that we're not smart enough, popular enough, or good enough.

   Will you make a difference?  Will you be a leader?  Will you cross the lines?  Will you be courageous?  Will you take a stand?  Will you break the chains?

BE THE CHANGE.